Fielding: Team India's secret weapon in the World Cup

Two standout moments from India's World Cup campaign and what they underline
Ravindra Jadeja is among the players with a point to prove
Ravindra Jadeja is among the players with a point to prove

The talking points of India’s performance at the World Cup so far have been the batting of the top three and a collective good showing by the bowling unit, with a few blips. There's nothing wrong in that. These cogs in the wheel have done well enough to merit discussion.

Forgotten somewhat in the favourable appraisal of these parts of the system are two moments. In the second game against Australia, when things got closer than expected towards the end, there were two acts that proved decisive.

The first came in the 41st over when substitute Ravindra Jadeja ran in from deep mid-wicket and took a catch that sent back Glenn Maxwell. The ball was dropping but Jadeja kept his eyes on it all along and lunged forward before clasping it with both hands.

The second came in the 45th over. Running a good 20 yards to his left along the boundary line, Virat Kohli pouched Nathan Coulter-Nile who had made 90 in the previous match. Both were difficult chances made to look easy. So easy that nobody spoke about them.

Heading into their fourth match, these fielding efforts are worth a mention because they have the potential to make the difference against a team which has not caught well. In the defeat against Australia in their last match, Pakistan spilled three chances. This is their old bane. In the previous World Cup too, they had dropped a catch in the quarterfinal against Australia at a stage of the game when it was wide open.

It’s a part of the game which turns close contests and heading into the big game at Old Trafford on Sunday, India start as the better of the two on this front. “Although we had a big total on the board against Australia, we had to field out of our skins to defend it. So in a tournament where every game is vital, we have to be on top of the game. We expect our opponents to do the same,” said India’s fielding coach R Sridhar after the washout against New Zealand.

Sridhar has been with the team since the second half of 2014 and India’s fielding standards have risen since. It was usual for fielders to dive and stop shots before he joined, but the difference between then and now is, more of these efforts see them hold the ball instead of just stopping it. The positioning of the body seems to have improved and these days one sees the players spending time on this during practice after batting and bowling.

Kohli leads by example when it comes to this and watching the team practise, one sometimes wonders whether the skipper should take it easy in order to stay clear of injuries. He goes for 50-50 balls as if it’s a match and this often has an infectious effect on the rest. “That’s the brand of cricket we want to play. We encourage fielders to convert an opportunity they have created. That’s a rule we would like to take as a fielding unit and we all know where it comes from. It comes from the captain himself,” acknowledged Sridhar.

These are easier said than done in England because of the cold. Palms don’t stay warm and soft, the body becomes stiff and teams have to pay extra attention to ensure that movements stay as natural as possible. “Hand warmers is the first option. Then, if you're running around between overs and throwing the ball around to the players, that keeps you warm between overs and keeps the body from cooling down. Also, we practise in the same weather,” said Sridhar.

Behind many teams in this aspect for a long time despite producing top-quality bowlers and batsmen, this Indian bunch seems to be approaching fielding differently. A World Cup is a good occasion to showcase that. Catches win matches and teams that do it consistently win tournaments. 

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The New Indian Express
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